Belt buckle



Patented Apr. 14, 1953 BELT BUCKLE Clifford A. Spanganberg, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Hickok Manufacturing Co. Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 27, 1949, Serial No. 101,610

2 Claims.

This invention relates to belt buckles.

The invention more particularly relates to a belt buckle consisting of a back plate and a front plate secured thereto in spaced relation to the back plate, and the front plate preferably being in the form of an initial or other indicia and wherein the back plate is elongated and, at one end thereof, is in the form of a novel bail and hook arrangement, whereby one end of a belt is secured to the bail and the other perforated end of the belt that passes between the front and back plates is secured by means of the hook.

Except for the novel bail and hook arrangement at one end of the elongated back plate, the present invention is similar to the belt buckle as shown and described in my application, Serial No. 89,518, filed April 25, 1949.

Stating the invention from another aspect, it consists of providing the novel bail and hook arrangement at one end of an elongated back plate, the said ball and hook and back plate preferably being of one piece construction and having secured thereto and in spaced relation therewith, a front plate, which front plate is of considerably less dimensions, lengthwise, as regards the back plate and thus disposing the novel bail and hook arrangement to one side of, preferably the right side, the front plate. The novel bail and hook arrangement at one end of the elongated back plate, actually extends laterally beyond the spaced front plate that is secured thereto.

In prior artbuckles, it is customary to provide the usual bail consisting of a front bar and a rear bar and the tongue of the buckle is pivotally attached to the rear bar and the tip of the tongue extends in overlapping relationship to the front bar, which bars are usually in substantially parallel relationship. The end of the belt is attached to the bar of the buckle that carries the tongue. In other type buckles that include spaced front and back plates, whether the same be rectangular or square in outline, the end of the belt is attached to one end of the back plate, or its equivalent, and the tongue or other fastening means for the perforated end of the belt is usually attached to the other end of the buckle.

The present buckle, as aforesaid, consists of an elongated, substantially rectangular shaped back plate and the front plate thereof, that is in spaced relation to the back plate and secured thereto, is in the form of an initial or other suitable emblem or indicia of one piece construction, and the said back plate is also of one piece construction, which includes the laterally opposite bail and integral tongue formation.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the invention to provide a belt buckle wherein there is embodied an elongated back plate and a front plate spacedly secured thereto and of less longitudinal dimension than the back plate, and the back plate having in laterally offset relationship to the front plate, a bail and hook arrangement in compart relationship whereby both ends of the belt are one attached .to the bail and the other, the perforated end of the belt, being secured by means of the said hook.

Another object of the invention is to provide a belt buckle consisting of two integral parts. consisting of a back plate and a front plate carried thereby and in spaced relation thereto and the back plate having a laterally offset bail and hook arrangement with respect to the front plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple and relatively inexpensive belt buckle that consists of two integral parts and which may be readily secured together and affording a ready attachment of one end of the belt to an extreme bail end of the buckle and the detachable connection of the other end of the belt through a perforation that engages over a hook that is immediately adjacent the said bail formation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a belt buckle wherein the hook for engaging the perforated end of the belt and the bail to which the other end of the belt is secured are compactly and closely arranged adjacent one end of the back plate of a buckle and wherein both the hook and bail are rigid and integral with the back plate of the buckle.

With the above objects in mind, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the inven-' tion.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the buckle;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the buckle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the buckle as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and with the addition of the belt to the buckle or vice versa;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is'an exploded perspective view of the two component elements, namely the back plate with the novel bail and hook arrangement at one end thereof, and the front plate that is to be attached to the back plate in spaced relation thereto.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the drawings in detail wherein the buckle denoted generally at B constitutes two integral parts; namely, the front plate "I and the back plate 8.

The back plate 8 is of enerally rectangular shape, one end of which 8 is slightlyinclined and the other end 9 thereof constitutes a bail and its side edges are in the form of flanges l0, and which flanges extend substantially at right angles with respect to the bail 9. An opening H isformed in the bail end of th buckle and this opening :allows the end 12 of the belt C .to

be .looped therethrough and secured by means of stitching or rivets I3 which also secure the .belt end retaining loop D thereto.

."Inwardly of the bail or bail bar 9, which s atone extreme end of the back plate, the buckle is nf :soli'd formation, preferably flat, as at is, andfintermediate the width of the buckle, there is formed an outstanding hook or tongue I5 which has one end thereof l5 turned over and thissaid endbeingsubstantially in spaced parallel relationship with the bail end of the buckle. Between the inclined end and the bailend of the back plate 'ofthe buckle, two recesses or depressions 1'6 and I! are formed and which recesses are of substantially rectangular formation, and both of whiohrecesses are open outwardly as at 18, which is'the sid edge of the back plate of the buckle.

.Both recesses inwardly of the side edge are inthe form of a ledge or abutment l9 and the diagonally opposite end walls 20 of each of the recesses "are :also in the :form of a ledge or an abutment and these end walls are slightly inclined with respect to the vertical whereas the ledges or abutments 2|,which constitute the "diagonally'opposed end walls of the recesses, are substantially vertically disposed. The back wall, substantially between the said recesses, i provided with openings .22 and .23. The aforesaid recesses-are substantially opposed to each other.

The front plate denoted generally at l is in the form of xa single initial or emblem .or other indicium 24. In the particularinstance, this indicium takes the form of the letter R. of the alphabet and the inner and outer edges 25 and zfiirespectively are inclined downwardly from the high point 21. This constitutes an inclined face initial .or letter at the upper end of which there is ianintegral, right angularly disposed web 28 and,;at the lower end of which there is a similarly right-angularly disposed integral web 29 and which webs are provided with flanges 30 and 3|, and which flanges are substantially parallel with the rear face of the letter R or other indicia and in spaced relation thereto.

The said flanges that are integral with the webs .28 and 29 are of substantially the same configuration as the said recesses 16 and II; that is, as regards their contour and the gage of .metal or other material of the flanges'39 and SI 'being substantially of the same thickness so as when disposed and secured inthe recesses,

the flanges will be substantially flush with the substantially flat face portion of the back plate of the buckle. The flanges 30 and 3| may be soldered to be permanently secured with the back plate or a detachable connection of the said flanges with the back plate may obviously be utilized.

It will be seen from theToregoing-that, when the front plate in the form of an initial, emblem or the like, is secured to the back plate "of the buckle, the hook or tongue and bail arrangement at one end of and integral with the back plate extends laterally beyond the side ed of theiriitiall or 'eniblem or whatever form the front plate takes. Thus, the hook or tongue and bail,'at"one*end of the elongated back plate of the 'buckle, may have, as aforesaid, the looped end l2 of the belt C readily attached thereto and with the front and back plates of the buckle secured together, the free perforated end E of the belt Cxobviously can be easily and quickly inserted in the space 32 which is jprovided'for between the .back plateand the front ,plate and one of the selected perforations 33 may be passed'over the hook:or tongu l5 and theninbetween the p D .and thus the belt is readily securedw about the wearer.

It will be noted that the back plate .of the buckle, particularly in Figs. 3,4 and-6,,isin'two planes; namely, one plane where the front'and back plates are attached together and in another plane at the extreme endof the back plate where the bail and hook or tongue are disposed. Inother words, the bail and hook formation at one :endof the buckle .isangularly disposed With respect .to the remainder of the back plate and front plate. With this angular disposition of thebail attaching endof the buckle and whereat the tongue or hook .is disposed, the belt buckle. when in use,,and withthe belt attached, assumes more or less the curvature of the body of the wearer about the top of the trousers. .In the drawings, the respective ends of the belt proper areshown as beingstraight and this is for illustrative purposes only, it being understood that the continuationof the ends of the belt not seen in the drawings assumes .a substantially circular curvature or a curvature that willconform with the outline of the body .of the wearer at the top of the trousers.

From the foregoing, it is believed :quite :clear that a highly practicable, :relatively simple and inexpensive .belt buckle is provided wherein the back plate of the buckletat oneend thereof and laterally oifset with respect .to the front plate is of novel construction and includes a bailand hook: or tongue -disposed thereat.

vI claim:

.1..'A belt buckle consisting of an elongated rigid rear member having oppositely disposed endand side edges and 'a front face portion, an endportion of said rear member being inclined to the planeof said;frontxface portion, said end portion having a transverse opening formed :adjacent its outer end .to provide a .belt receiving opening so that a belt can be attached to the bail .formed thereby, a tongue inwardly of an end edge of said rear member and extending forwardly thereof forengagement with the free end of the belt, and a front memberhaving substantially right-angularly disposed flanges at the .top and bottom edges thereof, said flanges terminating in ,inturned webs which are disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to the face portion of said front member, said rear member having depressions at the opposite side edges on the face portion thereof to provide a pair of oppositely disposed recesses of such form that said webs of the front member can be received in said recesses so that the face portion of said front member is predeterminately positioned relative to said rear member, and the face portion, flanges and webs of the front member of the buckle and the front face portion of the rear member defining a substantially smooth through passageway to receive the free end of the belt therein for engagement with said tongue for retaining the same in the passage- Way.

2. A belt buckle consisting of an elongated rigid rear member having oppositely disposed end and side edges and a front face portion, an end portion of said rear member being inclined to the plane of said front face portion, side edges of said rear member at said end portion providing rigidifying flanges right-angularly disposed relative to the plane of said end portion, said end portion having a transverse opening formed adjacent its outer end to provide a beltreceiving opening so that a belt can be attached to the bail formed thereby, a tongue integral with said rear member adjacent said inclined end portion, and a front member having rightangularly disposed flanges at the top and bottom edges of the face portion thereof, the flanges terminating in inturned integral webs which are disposed in spaced parallel relationship with respect to the face portion, said rear member being depressed at the opposite side edge on the face portion thereof to provide a pair of oppositely disposed recesses of such form that said webs can be received in said recesses, whereby the face portion, flanges and Webs of the front member and the front face portion of the rear member define a substantially smooth through passageway to receive the free end of the belt therein, the said front member of the buckle being at least coextensive in width with the rear face portion, and said tongue being adapted to be engaged in a selected opening in the free end of the belt to detachably secure the same thereto.

CLIFFORD A. SPANGANBERG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 217,098 Harnisch July 1, 1879 740,951 Uhlrig Oct. 6, 1903 1,380,518 Bellig June 7, 1921 1,654,805 Hamric Jan. 3, 1928 2,004,406 Harvey June 11, 1935 

